Apparatus for flushing water-closets, &amp;c.



Patented july 23, |901. J. C. GRUPPI &. L. EDANT. APPARATUS FOR FLUSHING WATER CLDSESTS, 8m.

(Appucazin med me. 14, 1900.)

' 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

I FIG- 1 (No Model.)

No. 679,069. Patented Aluly 23, |90l.

J. C. GRUPPI & L. EDANT. APPARATUS FDR FLUSHING WATER CLOSESTS, 8m.

(Application Bled Der', 14, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Shaets-$heet 2.

Patented luly 23, |901.

' J. C. GRUPPI & L. EDANT. APPARATUS FR FLUSHING WATER CLUSESTS, 81.0.

(Application led Dec. 14, 1900.) (N0 MUGL) 3 Shee-tsSheet 3.

FIG- l2 y UNITED STATES PATENT CFFAICE.

JULES CHARLES CROPPI AND LUCIEN EDANT, OF PARIS, FRANCE APPARATUS Fon FLusHiNcs WATER-CLosET/aae.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 679,069fdated. July 23, 1901.

Application illed December 14, 1900.' Serial No. 39,832. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JULES CHARLES CROP- PI and LUCIEN EDANT, builders, citizens of the Republic of France, residing at 11 Rue du Chemin Vert,Paris,in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Flushing Water- Closets and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to apparatus for flushing water-closets and the like; and the improvements consist in certain novel constructional arrangements of the cistern and of the devices for starting the Siphon, which have for their object to simplify the manufacture and to allow the dilferent parts to be removed and their position to be altered without having recourse to a skilled workman, Without the aid of tools, ,and without having to interfere with any joint, screw, or the like. .These results are obtained,in the first case,by combining with the Siphon a fixed inclined strip-partition and a movable plate or pallet provided with cheeks surrounding the said strip, the said parts constituting, with the bottom of the cistern, a chamber of variable capacity serving to cause a displacement of water, and a passage for conducting the displaced water `into the shorter leg of the Siphon, the lower mouth of which remains in constant communication with the water in the cistern; in the second place, by giving to the cistern a double curved form, such that it is only neces sary to cause the palletto rock upon aixedaxis in order to drive toward the Siphon the whole of the water located between the pallet and the inclined strip, the said axis being situated either at the right or left hand side of the apparatus, and by arranging the saidl inclined strip so that it shall be kept in place in the cistern without any fixing arrangement. The shape of the passage conducting the water to the siphon and the manner of arranging the mouth of the said Siphon are, moreover, devised so that the speed of ow of the water when once siphoning has been started shall not be diminished by the presence of the starting devices.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown by way of example two methods of constructing our improved apparatus.

Figure 1 is an `elevation and longitudinal section of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan,

the cover being removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse section. Fig. 4 is a partial section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5is alongitudinal section of the bottom of the cistern; Fig. 6, a plan of the bottom of the cistern. Figs. 7 and 8 represent a front elevation and a side elevation, respectively, of a bell forming part of the siphon. 'Figs 9 and 10 are an eleva.- tion and a plan, respectively, of a tube forming the downward leg of the siphon. Fig. 11 is a section of the float-valve, and Fig. 12 illustrates a modified construction of our flushing apparatus.

The apparatus illustrated by Figs. 1 to 11 comprises a vertical tube a, to which can be screwed a union b for the discharge-pipe at its lower part. This tube is provided, with a baflie c, situated in its center. A ilat bell d covers the hereinbefore-described tube and is provided on one of its sides with a rectangular strip e, extending from its lower part and rising transversely and obliquely into the cistern. On the upper edge of the cistern j is hinged a lever f, supporting and guiding a plate or pallet g, provided with two cheeks h andv with a sector-shaped top t', which are designed to surround the rectangular strip e on the bell. 9 is a weight connected within the cistern to lever f.

The cisternj, supporting the hereinbeforedescribed parts, has a bottom, the right and left hand sides of which are symmetrically curved, the curves being arcs of a circle struck at each side from the center of the arc described by the lower edge of the pallet when the latter is placed on that side. Recesses lo, made in the middle of the bottom of the cistern, receive the discharge-pipe and serve as a passage for conducting the water projected by the pallet into the bell d. A valve m, operated by'a float u, serves to fill the cistern and to keep a constant level therein when the apparatus is not being operated. supposing the cistern to be lled to its normal level, if the chain w, fixed to the lever f, be pulled the pallet g will force against the strip e of the bell the whole of the water which is contained in the Siphon-starting box g h i. This water is forced into the passagelc and directed by the strip e of the Siphon to the upper part of the bell d. The protuberance at the top of the strip e, to a certain extent narrowing the passage of the water, establishes at IOO this point'the maximum pressure due to the displacement produced by the pallet and causes the water contained in the cistern to be drawn through the second mouth 'n of the siphon. The water thus projected rises in the bell and Hows into the discharge-piped, drawing along with it the water contained in the reservoir, and consequently starting the siphon. The lower part of the bell is slightly widened and somewhat sloping on the side opposite the pallet in order that the water shall not meet with any resistance and that the suction shall be completely eected at this side. AThe said part of the bell has also a larger area than that of the discharge-pipe in order that theilush may retain allits force.

It often happens when the cistern is being placed in position 'that the direction in which the apparatus acts does not suit the structure of the place in which itis to be fixed. Our reservoir in this case obviates any difficulty. It is only necessary totake olf the cover z, lift out the lever fand its pallet, and then turn the bell d, so that the strip e shall be placed in the opposite direction. The ends of the spindle l, supporting the pallet and its lever, are then placed in the t'wo other recesses 2 inthe edges of the cistern. The operating-lever, if it was formerly situated at the right hand, will be thus located on the left-hand side. The position of the floatvalve can also be changed after unscrewing its nut 3 by sliding it between the lugs 4, situated at the opposite end. All-the parts of the apparatus can thus be changed, as regards their position,withoutthe aid ofa skilled workman to suit the direction of action and feed.

After the apparatuses have been in use for a certain time a quan tityof sediment becomes deposited therein according to the impurity of the water. As highlycharged water usually passes through them, they rapidly become dirty, so that their working is interfered with. Hitherto it has been always necessary in this case to take down the apparatus and put it in the hands of a skilled Workman. Our improved arrangement, on the contrary, allows of intrnsting this work to any ordinary person, as all the parts can be removed by hand without undoing a single screw or joint, and all the parts are easily accessible for cleaning purposes.

The shape of the lower part of the cistern conducting the water under the siphon allows in case of frost of insuring the complete emptying of the cistern when the chain m is pulled after having stopped the admission of water into the feed-passage. There is thus no longer any reason to fear the eects of frost,-which so frequently render ushingtanks inoperative.

The float-valve (represented in section at Fig. 11 in its closed position) comprises a shell o, carrying the water-inlet pipe 5, a cap p or guide-box for the valve q or piston actuated by the linger ortappet tof the lever 'u of the evaoee oating ball, a deadening-spring r, a diaphragm s, of india-rubber, for isolating the guide-chamber of the valve from the waterpassage, and an operating-finger t, actuated b'y the ball u and the rod i: of the float. The Heat-valve is represented closed. Supposing a iush has just been produced, the hollow ball u falls and lowers the rod fu, which by means of the finger tmoves thevalve q from its seat and gives passage to thewater. The cistern then refills and the fioating ball u rises with the level of the water. The finger then allows the spring lr to act upon the valve q, and the latter moves toward its seat until a given level having been reached the valve q, which is always solely under the pressure of the spring r, is completely pressed onto its seat and entirely stops the admission of the water. The closing being thus elected by the spring/r, which is of considerable strength, the said spring receives all the shocks which may be produced and deadens them. It follows that the float-ball u is completely independent, and consequently can never agitato the wat-er nor allow a continuous How through receiving vibrations. The diaphragm s, placed in front of the guide-chamber of the valve q, prevents the water from entering this part of the float-valve, and thus prevents any deposit therein which might interfere with the movement or oxidize the spring. A tube y, leading from the shell o, conducts the water to the bottom of the cistern, so as to prevent the noise which the water would produce in falling during the filling of the apparatus.

For the purpose of preventing the paint with which the cistern is covered from entering between the ends of the spindle l and the surfaces of the semicircular recesses 2 made in the cover and in the cistern we form upon 'the cover lugs 10, which completely cover these parts, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

We have illustrated in Fig. 12 another form of our improved flushing apparatus, which differs from that already described in the arrangement of the sphon and the passage through which the Water is forced under the action of the pallet; This apparatus comprises a Siphon, the two legs of which are formed in one piece. The longer leg 6, fixed to the bottom of 'the cistern j, is continued downward by a discharge-pipe. Beneath the shorter .leg 7 of the siphon opens a passage k, formed by the combination of a cavity made in the bottom of the cisternand a` fixed transverse partition e, provided with an extension 8 in the form of a nozzle. let g h t', serving to force the water under the strip or partition e and into the passage k, consists, as described with respect to the former arrangement, of a back plateg, two checks h, and a sector-shaped top t'. It is' fixed to a lever f, having a counterweight g and which can be actuated by means of a chain Whenthe chain is pulled,-the pallet forces into the passage k a certain quantity of water, which quickly passes out through The pall IOO IIO

sns

the nozzle and enters the short leg of the siphon, thereby starting the same. The water in the cistern afterward enters the siphon through the annular space between its lower mouth and the nozzle. In this apparatus the siphon and the partition and the pallet can be easily removed and placed in a symmetrical position when the direction of action is required to be altered. The floatvalve which feeds the cistern can also be changed to the other side.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is 1. Aflushingapparatuscomprising,incombiuation, a cistern, a lever pivoted in the cistern, a siphon-starting box having a plate g, wings h and top i, a bell d open at the bottom, an inclined rectangular fixed plate c extending from the bottom of the bell into the forward end of the space betweenwingsh, the parts g, h, i, being rigid with and movable with lever f, plate g being normally retracted from plate e, said starting-box communicating with the bell 'at the bottom thereof by an open passage lo, a vertical tube in the bell, means for connecting a dischargepipe therewith, tube a forming the long leg of the siphon, and being smaller than the bell, whereby the short legof the siphon is the bell itself, which leg communicates directly with the cistern, a baille-plate c extending into the bottom of the bell thus forming two passages to the-short leg, as set forth.

2. Afiushingapparatus comprising,in combination, a cistern, a lever pivoted on the cistern, a siphon-starting box having a plate g, wings h, and top t', a bell d open at the bottom, an inclined rectangular fixed plate e extending from the bottom of the bell into the forward end of the 'space between wings h, the parts g, h, z', being rigid with lever f, a

weight 9, on leverf, plate g being normally retracted from plate e by said weight, said starting-box communicating with the bell at the bottom thereof by an open passage 7c, a vertical tube a in the bell forming a leg of a siphon and being smaller than the bell whereby the second leg of the siphon is the bell itself, the latter leg communicating with the cistern,-the baiile c extending into the bottom of the bell and enlarged at its upper end.

3.- Aushinga-pparatus comprising,in combination, a cistern, a lever pivoted on the cistern, a siphon-starting box having a plate g, wings h, and top t', a bell d open at the .bottom, an inclined fixed plate e extending from the bottom of the bell into the forward end of the space between wings h, the parts g, h, c', being rigid with lever f, a weight 9 on lever j", plate g being normally retracted from plate e by said weight, said starting-box communieating with the bell at the bottom thereof by an open passage k, a vertical tube a, in the bell forming a leg of a siphon and being smaller than the bell whereby the second leg of the siphon is the bell itself, the latter leg communicating with the cistern, the bafiie o' extending into the bottom of the bell and forming two passages to the short leg of the Siphon, an inlet-valve to the cistern, and ay controlling-Heat therefor within the cistern.

4. The combination of the cistern, the siphon, lever f, pivot 1 therefor, weight 9 on the lever, parts g, h, 1l, carried by the lever within the cistern in advance of the pivot, means outside of the cistern for operating the lever together with parts g, h, i, on pivot 1, plate e extending from the bottom of the siphon into the space between wings h, the bottom of the cistern havinga section curved on said pivot as a center, a passage la leading from the short leg ofthe siphon under plate e to the siphon-starting box, and a similar passage connecting the cistern to the same arm of the siphon on the side opposite plate e.

5. The combination of a cistern having a suitable inlet, a central siphon, an outletpipe, means for supporting a pivot on the cistern, a lever, a pivot therefor, a siphon-starting box having plates g, h,extending nearly to the bottom of the cistern, the bottom of the cistern below the siphon being curved downward forming open passages k, k, both leading to one leg of the si phon, a part of the bottom of the cistern being curved with said l pivot as a center, whereby said plates g, h, swing in close proximity thereto toward and from the siphon, plate c extending from the bottom of the siphon and the passages extending from the short leg of the siphon to the siphon-starting box and the cistern respectively.

6. The combination of a cistern having a suitable inlet,. a central siphon, an outletpipe, means for supporting a pivot on the cistern, a lever, a pivot therefor, asiphon-starting box having plates g, It, extending nearly to the bottom of the cistern, the bottom of the cistern below the siphon being curved downward forming open passages k, k, both leading to one leg of the-siphon, a part of the bottom of the cistern being curved with said pivotas a center, whereby said plates g, h, swingin close proximity thereto toward and from the siphon, plate e extending from the bottom of the siphon, passages extending from the short leg of the siphonj to the siphonstarting box, and the cistern respectively,

the short leg of the siphon-consistin g of a bell,

the bottom of the bell at the side remote from plate e being flared outward and shortened to' enlarge the inlet to the bell from the cistern. In testimony that we claim the foregoing as ourinvention we have signed our names in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: y

CAMILLE BLTRY,

EUGlNE WA'r'rIER.

IOO

IIO

IIS 

